A Showcase for the Creative Fashion course at Hawick High

This page contain information about the award winning Creative Fashion course at Hawick High - and showcases some of the exciting work and events from recent years.

       HAWICK HIGH SCHOOL CREATIVE FASHION

This exciting and innovative course is now in its eighth year and encompasses 5th and 6th year students of all academic abilities. It also creates links between Art and Design and Home Economics. Every year each student produces 12 garments for the various categories in their fashion show. These garments are all made from recycled materials. The show also enables them to raise money for many local charities.
From the onset there has been a lot of support from local industries. The course has been greatly enhanced by the work of a local photographer, John Parris, by way of photo shoots and publicity material.

Throughout the course the pupils develop a greater confidence and self worth. They are encouraged to be creative in their own individual way and work as part of a team. This involves a lot of flexibility, problem solving, and acceptance of responsibility.
To help make some aspects of the course more feasible the students undertake many forms of fundraising. This has involved making and selling jewellery at the local farmers market, sponsored silences, raffles and baking to name but a few.
An important element of the course is the link created with many of the local industries, in particular the textile industry. Hawick has a strong and lasting tradition in textile manufacturing and although currently in a slump these industries are still very supportive of the project and frequently provide waste material and off cuts for the students to recycle. As a rural community, geographically distanced from the rest of the Borders, career opportunities are limited for young people. Throughout the course the opportunity to work with professionals, businesses, agencies etc. is not something normally available to the High School pupils.

The project works closely with the Teviot and Liddesdale Learning Community and further afield. This takes the form of project work in the feeder primary schools in the area. For the projects the Creative fashion students visit the schools on a regular basis to help the Primary 7 pupils work on a design brief related to the fashion course. Some of the Primary 7 pupils then go on to model their work alongside the High School pupils in their fashion show. This also has the added advantage of helping to create a smoother transition from primary to secondary school. Other links in this field are with Border College and Heriot Watt University. The course has been recognised by both Learning and Teaching Scotland and the H.M.I. as providing innovative methods of teaching and both have filmed the students in action. The course is also featured in the schools own Pod casts which can be viewed on the website.

Hawick High School comes under the 'Eco Schools' banner and the course supports this through its creative use of recycled materials.
Throughout the seven years the pupils horizons have been further widened as a result of many varied and exciting trips and visits as well as visiting speakers/experts to the school. This is considered a particularly valuable aspect of the course due to the geographical isolation of Hawick. It is distanced from the rest of the Borders and from any major cities. These opportunities have allowed the pupils to become more aware of career possibilities outside of the Borders and can be listed as follows:

•       An exchange visit to Sweden. This was to a textiles area similar to the Borders with all the same economic problems.
•       A visit each year to the Clothes Show in the Exhibition Centre at Birmingham.
•       A visit to the Vivienne Westwood studio in Battersea as well as her London shops. The students were given a design brief by Vivienne Westwood and are currently working on it. The results of this will be on display at the Scott Gallery, Wilton Park, Hawick, during April and May this year.
•       In April, 2010, the students were invited to take part in the Tartan Day Parade in New York. In order to make this happen they raised £16,000 in 4 months. While in New York they visited the Holland and Sherry and Johnsons of Elgin showrooms, The Fashion Institute of Technology (F.I.T.), as well as sight seeing.
•       We have organised visits to a personal shopper where students had the opportunity to discuss job opportunities as well as suitable dress for interviews.
•       The students were able to spend an afternoon with top model Stella Tennant and benefit greatly from her  experience. At the time of her visit she was being featured on the front pages of both American and British Vogue.

As part of an effort to create a shared vision within the community the Creative Fashion course has taken part in four exhibitions.

1) Wilton Museum, Hawick.
2) Scottish Borders Council headquarters.
3) Borders Textile Tower Museum, Hawick. (twice).

It is hoped that, in the not too distant future, this link can be taken further to produce a Fashion Show showcasing the work of the students along with current knitwear trends and that from the archives of the knitwear manufacturers in Hawick.